Improvement in masks



P. W 'THAYER. Masks.

No. 200,358: Patentd Feb. 12, 1878.

N.PETF.RS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C-

jam/7&2? Frederic W r.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

FREDERICK W. THAYER, OF WAVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MASKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,358, dated February 12, 1878; application filed January 15, 1878.

To all whom it may conceme Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. THAYER, of Waverly, of the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Face-Guard or Safety-Mask for Base-Ball Players; and do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure l is a perspective elevation, Fig. 2 a rear view, Fig. 3 ahorizontal section, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal section, of it.

It is intended to protect the face of a player from being hit or injured by a base-ball while in flight toward him, and also at the same time to not materially obstruct his sight. It

is usually to be worn by the catcher or person in rear of the striker or bat-wielder.

It consists of a forehead and a chin rest or bottom bearing, and a wire cage to. receive them and extend about the face, the whole being substantially as represented, and provided with straps or means of securing the cage to the head of a player.

In the drawings the wire cage is represented at A, it being made of strong wire, and open in rear to fit around the head and allow of the admission within it of the face of a player, so as to enable his forehead and chin to bear against two padded or cushioned rests, B 0, formed and fixed in position within the cage in manner as shown. The lips of the mouth of the cage .may also be suitably padded or cushioned, as represented at a, and should or may be provided with two straps,

.D E, to project from them, a buckle, 13, being fixed to one of the said straps.

The cage is arched both horizontallyand vertically, in order to deflect a ball when struck by it.

In Fig. 4 a face is exhibited by dotted lines as in its proper position within the guard, and with reference to its forehead and .chin rests, when the article is in use.

After the head of a person may have been properly inserted in the cage the straps should be buckled together, so as to confine the guard to the head, in which case the guard, by the forehead and chin rests, will be prevented from being driven back upon the face and neck of the wearer by a ball when impinging against the cage.

It is not an unfrequent occurrence in the game of base-ball for a player to be severely injured in the face by a ball thrown against it. With my face-guard such an accident cannot happen.

I do not claim a fencing-mask as usually made of woven wire.

I claim- 1. The face-guard or safety-mask, substantially as described, for the purpose specified, it consisting of the' open cage and forehead and chin'rests or bearings, all combined and arranged essentially as set forth.

2. The open cage provided with the forehead-rest, arranged in it substantially as represented. Y

FREDOK. W. THAYER. 

